Shiva
Bala Yogi Virtual*Darshan*(Virtual: non physical, but
being such in essence or in having the power or practical effect)

The Bangalore Ashram
The Brahma Vishnu Maheshwara Temple

On
August 7, 1977, Shivabalayogi established what is his largest ashram, which
is in the Jaya Pradesh neighborhood (J. P. Nagar) of Bangalore city. Shri
Swamiji had a building constructed on the south side which contains a large
meditation hall, offices, a library, kitchen, store rooms, and rooms for
Swamiji, ashram residents, and visiting devotees. The massive granite
complex stands four stories tall, its hall topped by a large aum symbol. Its
meditation hall is sixty by seventy feet of marble floor space spanned by
vaulted concrete roof and seating 1500 people. Shri Swamiji designed the
hall, just as he did all the buildings at his ashrams. Shri Swamiji enjoyed
taking an active interest in the design and construction, working closely
with engineers and contractors, but often overruling them even in details
such as the thickness of the concrete to be poured or the gauge and
thickness of reinforcing steel bars.

On the north side of the Bangalore ashram is a
large complex constructed between 1982 and 1987. It contains the Brahma
Vishnu Maheshwara temple on the north-east corner, a large wedding hall
named in honor of Swamiji’s mother, Shrimati Allaka Parvatamma, kitchen
facilities and a dining hall for mass feedings, and numerous additional
rooms for residents and guests.

The Temple

The temple is controversial for traditional
Hindus because the scriptures strictly forbid the worship of Brahma even
though he is the creator, one of the three fundamental manifestations of
God. Shivabalayogi was warned and threatened, but he ignored the protests of
some of the local spiritual leaders and insisted on installing a form of
Brahma so that the God could be worshipped as an equal with Shiva and
Vishnu. The temple remains one of only two temples in the world with an
image of Brahma. (The other in Adjir, Rajastan, is solely to Brahma, and not
to the three gods of the Trimurthy).

The origin of the prohibition is Shiva’s curse
that Brahma should not be worshipped. Because Shiva is Swamiji’s guru and
because Swamiji underwent tapas at Shiva’s direction, the curse was lifted
when Shivabalayogi consecrated the idol of Brahma. Swamiji explained that he
incarnated to remove that curse.

“Swamiji was not supposed to install the
idol of Brahma. The Hindu scriptures [Shastras] prohibit the
worship of Brahma. Swamiji installed the idols of Brahma, Vishnu and
Maheshwara. No human being was supposed to install any idol of Brahma and
Brahma is not supposed to be worshipped. Swamiji installed an idol of Brahma
and now people are performing puja to him.”